There are countless occasions and reasons to give a gift.  And many of us have found ourselves riddled with angst as we try to find the perfect gift, the gift that sends just the right message, to a spouse, friend, colleague or even just a casual acquaintance.  That’s what makes gift baskets such an appropriate gift, because they can be tailored to anyone and their hobbies or interests.  Or they can be tailored to the message we want to convey.

Perhaps you have something to celebrate.  Maybe an anniversary or some achievement that needs to be recognized.  A gift basket contained champagne, as well as champagne flutes and a few other odds and ends would clearly convey a celebratory message.

Have a friend or family member that’s having a baby?  Share your joy by giving them a gift basket full of baby related items.  Any maybe some stuff for the new parents as well.

Perhaps someone you care about is ill.  A basket full of comfort foods and maybe a stuffed animal would be a perfect way to let them know that you are thinking about them and wishing them well.

Maybe you want to remind dad that he is loved and appreciated.  Is he into fishing?  Maybe golf?  It would be easy enough to fill up a basket or tin with a variety of things related to his passion, and he would be so happy to receive it.

Clearly, the list of messages, or the list of occasions that a gift basket would be appropriate for is many and varied.  So the next time you find yourself in a bind, and wondering what to give as the perfect gift, why not consider a basket or tin filled to the brim!

Here is what the Harvest Splendor Gift Basket Contains:

• Mango & Lime Exfoliating Sugar Scrub
• Moisturizing Soap
• Body Moisturizer
• Moisturizing Hand Lotion
• Fresh Oranges
• Apples
• Fruit Infusion Snack Mix
• Pates De Fruits Candies
• Vanilla Fudge Party Mix
• Chocolate Truffles
• Butterfly Shortbread Cookies
• Savory Snack Mix
• Smoked Almonds
• Pear Shaped Candle

This basket sells for $149.95 and can generally be shipped the same or next day.  Follow the purple links to purchase this bath gift basket or get more information.

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The above basket only ships to USA addresses. If you are an international visitor, please check out Gift Baskets Overseas. They ship worldwide.

For centuries, the therapeutic practice of aromatherapy has been used to promote wellness.  Its benefits are many, with its ability to relax and rejuvenate and advance health and beauty.  Since it works to create a balance with the mind, body and spirit, it is often considered to be both an energizing and relaxing treatment, depending what is needed.  Need to be uplifted and invigorated?  There’s a treatment.  Or do you need to gain a sense of peaceful calm?  If so, there’s something for you as well.

Whatever type of treatment you need, essential oils are mixed and used in a variety of ways which include, but are not limited to bathing, inhalation and massage.  It’s the scent, or aroma of these oils that bring about therapeutic results.  However a treatment is administered, the treatment works in harmony with the body, soothing or stimulating it as it absorbs the nutrients of the essential oils.  And since these oils are in their purest form, the benefits to the body are not minimized in any way.

It’s believed that these oils have a simple lipid-soluble molecular structure, enabling them to be absorbed easily through the skin.  From there, the eventually pass through your bloodstream, and this is how and when its benefits are realized.  It’s even commonly believed that aromatherapy can help to eliminate wastes from the body, including dead cells, and can in turn promote the regeneration of healthy new cells.

As mentioned at the outset, aromatherapy isn’t a new practice.  It’s been around for centuries and is used in some form by nearly all cultures.  Today, bath and spa products that integrate aromatherapy abound.  Additionally, many essential oils are used in massage therapy, adding to the benefits of the massage.

I live an alternative lifestyle. It’s nothing radical or rebellious. I’m a work at home mom, over forty with a toddler. At this point in my life I expected to have a bustling career and grown kids either out of the house or about ready to leave the nest, but life doesn’t always turn out the way we’re told it should – stuff happens; stressful situations pop up everyday, either caused by us or ‘for’ us.

How do I ‘treat’ these situations and still care for my mind and body without loosing it? There’s where the other component of my alternative lifestyle comes in – aromatherapy. Aromatherapy, or ‘treating with scents’, is huge and growing in the area of alternative medicines, and is used in hospitals and homes to treat anything from labor pains to cardiac rehab. Although used in other countries for centuries, aromatherapy is making its way into the everyday lives of people around the US. People like myself, potentially stressed out work at home moms.

If you’re new to the idea of using aromatherapy to help reduce the stress in your life, then start with something simple such as a lavender bath or other lavender essential oil product. Here is a simple and wonderful recipe that you can try at home in your bath before bed.

Lavender Calming Bath Crystals

1 cup Epsom salts
10 drops Lavender essential oil
1 drop food coloring
Shake all ingredients in a Ziploc bag until coated. Store in a bottle or bag.

Another wonderful way to use aromatherapy to relieve stress is to apply a lovely lavender scented body lotion to your sore aching muscles. Apply this easy to mix lavender lotion after your bath, or if you’re lucky enough to have a partner who is willing, request a relaxing massage before bed. The calming scent of lavender works for fussy babies, why not stressed moms? Here is a simple recipe for a lavender lotion that you’ll love.

Lovely Lavender Lotion

1 oz. glycerin
2 tsp. oil of lavender
Put ingredients in a clean glass bottle and shake well. Refrigerate.

When life makes you crazy, remember, you have the power to create a calming oasis in your own home. Take a few minutes for yourself and relax. As mothers, we tend to forget that we must nurture ourselves before we can nurture our children to the best of our abilities. What better place to start than in our bath with beautiful scents, sounds and soft candlelight? Our lifestyles need not take over our lives.

Looking for bath and body gift baskets that will delight a special lady in your life?  This gift basket is chock full of bath oils, lotions, gels, and even scented drawer sachets that she can use to keep not just herself but her special things smelling awesome long after her spa bath is done. Oh, and we can’t forget the added treat of assorted white and raspberry chocolates. This arrangement comes in a white picket fence planter.
Bath Delights Spa Gift Basket Contains:

• 8 oz Heavenly Moments Moisturizing Body Lotion
• 8 oz Heavenly Moments Moisturizing Bath & Body Gel
• 8 oz Heavenly Moments Invigorating Body Spray
• Bath Oil Beads/ or Bath Salts
• 2 Scented Drawer Sachets
• Ghirardelli Assorted Chocolate Squares (4)
• White Picket Fence Planter 5″x5″‘x5″

This gift basket is $39.99 and usually ships the same or next day. Purchase or get more information.

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The above basket only ships to USA addresses. If you are an international visitor, please check out Gift Baskets Overseas. They ship worldwide.

First of all, what are essential oils?  The oil itself is obtained by extracting the “essence” out of a plant.  This extraction could be from various parts of that plant, the leaves, flower, bark, fruit rind or the fruit itself.  The oil will be highly concentrated and extracted using the process of distillation.  With these oils in hand, an aromatherapist would then use them to help patients attain a better state of physical and mental well being.

Oils can be used by themselves or blended together with a variety of other oils.  Generally, combinations are used to create a more desirable effect than could be obtained when just using a single oil.

So, how does aromatherapy work?  With our sense of smell, or olfaction.  When we inhale a scent our olfactory nerves are stimulated.  This process creates an impulse that’s to the emotional centers of our brains.  This part of our brain is called the limbic system and is linked to areas of the brain that control such things as your memories, breathing and blood circulation.  To illustrate this process, have you ever breathed in a scent and automatically had a memory related to that scent triggered?  This part of the brain is also connected to you endocrine glands, and they regulate your body’s hormone levels.  Understanding what scents impact what parts of the brain, and how they sooth or stimulate them is the basis of aromatherapy.

How can you take advantage of aromatherapy yourself?  Well, you could check out your local spas and see what kind of services they offer.  You can also buy an aromatherapy kit to use at home.  However, the most common way people take advantage of aromatherapy is to buy bath products with essential oils and find out what works best for you.

Know someone who could use some anti-stress products? Then this will make a great gift. Instead of a basket, this spa selection comes in a two-tone blue woven tote that is completely reusable. Inside you’ll find serenity body lotion, a wooden massager and so much more. Give someone the gift of much needed serenity.
Spoil Me Spa Gift Tote:
• Fabric Gift Tote/ Purse
• Floating Jasmine Rose Candle
• Bath Sponge
• Toes And Nails Bristle Brush
• Wooden Body Massager
• Room And Drawer Aromatherapy Sachet
• Relax & Read Bath Pillow
• Moisturizing Bath & Body Cream
• Invigorating Bath & Body Spray
• Moisturizing Bath & Body Wash
Gift arrives shrink-wrapped and topped off with a designer bow

A Little About Jasmine

The essential oil of jasmine is often used in aromatherapy as an antidepressant, and its properties are said to treat conditions such as headaches, anxiety and insomnia. Aromatherapists will also use the scent as a sedative and a muscle relaxer.

Oh, and one more interesting thing about jasmine.  It’s a well know aphrodisiac, so be careful who you give it to!

This gift basket is $44.99 and usually ships the same or next day. Purchase or get more information.

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The above basket only ships to USA addresses. If you are an international visitor, please check out Gift Baskets Overseas. They ship worldwide.

A luscious lavender gift basket with an assortment of quality top selling bath and beauty product along with decadent snacks to indulge in. A great quality gift basket overflowing with spa products to create a spa experience right in the comfort of your own home. This Lusciously Lavender Gift Basket makes a great gift for many occasions, a very relaxing and memorable gift that’s also very tasty.

Lusciously Lavender Spa Gift Basket:

* Lavender Bath Salts
* Shower Gel
* Hand Cream
* Bath Fizzers And Bath Tea
* This Pretty Purple Tub Also Includes A Raspberry Chocolate Biscotti Bar
* White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
* Ghirardelli Dark Chocolate Raspberry Filled Bar And Square

Relaxing, refreshing and tasty, too!

This gift basket is $59.95* and usually ships the same or next day. Purchase or get more information.

A Little About Lavender

Lavender is acclaimed as one of the most universally recommended essential oils for stress relief.  It’s well documented that lavender has relaxing properties and can also aide in the healing process of wounds and burns.

One study, in which patients inhaled a 10% lavender solution for 3 minutes, had EEG results that showed lower levels of anxiety and increased relaxation.

So give someone you love some lavender to add to their bath.  It’s a great way to de-stress.  Think how much they will thank you for it!

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The above basket only ships to USA addresses. If you are an international visitor, please check out Gift Baskets Overseas. They ship worldwide.

Looking for a gift that will spoil and pamper someone special?  Well, you could buy them a day at the spa, or you could provide something that will bring the spa home to them! This basket even comes with a 100 percent cotton spa robe. (Note that there is no special order of sizes.  The robe is one size fits all.) The recipient of this basket will have everything they need to pamper themselves, all tucked in a keepsake wicker basket with a closing lid and handles.

• Pure Pleasure Vanilla Milk Bubble bath
• Pure Pleasure Vanilla Milk Shower gel
• Pure Pleasure Vanilla Milk Rich body lotion
• Flowering English soap bar
• Vanilla bath caviar beads
• Soft absorbent hand towel
• Cotton plush white spa robe
• Wooden body massager

Gift arrives shrink-wrapped and topped off with a designer bow.

This gift basket is $79.95* and usually ships the same or next day. Purchase or get more information.

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The above basket only ships to USA addresses. If you are an international visitor, please check out Gift Baskets Overseas. They ship worldwide.

The scent of citrus is known to cleanse and refresh.  What better to ask for in a bath spa!  This hand crafted basket is full of best selling spa products, with citrus scents that will delight and invigorate its recipient.   And the added enjoyment of champagne and cookies as well!  It’s a great gift idea when sending get well or thank you wishes… or for any other occasion!

Citrus Spa and Champagne Gift Basket:

• Lauren Nichole Spa bath gel
• Lauren Nichole Body cream
• Lauren Nichole Soap
• Lauren Nichole Bath salts
• Gourmet Lemon cookies
• Bottle of California Champagne
• Elegant Wicker Basket

This gift basket is $79.95 and usually ships the same or next day. Purchase or get more information.

A little about the use of citrus in aromatherapy:

As stated above the scent of citrus is clean and refreshing.  A whiff of citrus can actually awaken the senses.  There has also been some research done on the essential oil of lemon. According to this published research, lemon is known to possess both anti anxiety and anti depressant effects.

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The above basket only ships to USA addresses. If you are an international visitor, please check out Gift Baskets Overseas. They ship worldwide.